ELECTION CODE

CHAPTER 144. CANDIDATE FOR OFFICE OF POLITICAL SUBDIVISION OTHER 
THAN COUNTY OR CITY


	§ 144.001.  APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER.  This chapter 
applies to a candidate for an office of a political subdivision 
other than a city or county.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.                     


	§ 144.002.  INDEPENDENT CANDIDACY REQUIRED.  A 
candidate's name may appear on the ballot only as an independent.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.                     


	§ 144.003.  APPLICATION REQUIRED.  (a)  Except as 
otherwise provided by law, to be entitled to a place on the ballot, 
a candidate must make an application for a place on the ballot.
	(b)  If a law outside this code purports to prescribe the 
exclusive requirements that a candidate's application must satisfy 
for the candidate's name to be placed on the ballot, Section 
141.031(4)(L) also applies to the application.  The other 
provisions of Section 141.031 do not apply.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.  Amended by 
Acts 1987, 70th Leg., ch. 427, § 6, eff. Sept. 1, 1987.


	§ 144.004.  AUTHORITY WITH WHOM APPLICATION 
FILED.  Except as otherwise provided by law, an application for a 
place on the ballot must be filed with the secretary of the 
political subdivision's governing body or, if the governing body 
has no secretary, with the governing body's presiding officer.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.                     


	§ 144.005.  FILING DEADLINE.  (a)  An application for a 
place on the ballot must be filed not later than 5 p.m. of the 62nd 
day before election day.
	(b)  Except as otherwise provided by law, an application 
filed by mail is considered to be filed at the time of its receipt by 
the appropriate authority.
	(c)  The governing body of a political subdivision for which 
a deadline for filing for candidacy is prescribed by a law outside 
this code shall take appropriate action to comply with Subsection 
(a) and to adjust any affected date, deadline, or procedure to allow 
the same interval of time in relation to the filing deadline as 
would be provided by application of the other law.  The secretary of 
state shall prescribe any rules necessary to facilitate the 
implementation of this subsection.

Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 211, § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1986.  Amended by 
Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 925, § 4, eff. Nov. 1, 2003.


	§ 144.006.  FILING DEADLINE FOR DECLARED WRITE-IN 
CANDIDATE.  Except as otherwise provided by law, a declaration of 
write-in candidacy must be filed not later than 5 p.m. of the fifth 
day after the date an application for a place on the ballot is 
required to be filed in an election in which:
		(1)  the filing deadline for an application for a place 
on the ballot is the 45th day before election day;  and
		(2)  write-in votes may be counted only for names 
appearing on a list of declared write-in candidates.

Added by Acts 2003, 78th Leg., ch. 1316, § 35, eff. Sept. 1, 
2003.